Description

Silva Select Prestige VG

Silva Select Prestige VG is the ultimate in wood cladding. What makes it so special is the fact that it is produced exclusively from old growth vertical grain Western Red Cedar. Also known as ‘quarter sawn’, vertical grain boards are cut so that the growth rings are vertical (or at an angle greater than 45°) to the face of the board.

Normally Western Red Cedar cladding is mixed grain, meaning that some boards will be vertical grain and others will be flat grain. Now Silva has gone the extra mile to source raw material that is 100% vertical grain. Simply put, it’s the best of the best – the ultimate in appearance and performance.

Please ensure when ordering that you make an allowance for wastage. We recommend adding an additional 10-15% over and above your initial requirements.

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Straight, Tight Grain

Old growth Western Red Cedar from the British Columbia coastal region

The wood fibre used to produce Silva Select Prestige VG Western Red Cedar cladding is of an exceptional quality. The raw material comes from old growth logs harvested in the coastal region of British Columbia, Canada.

It’s rich colour, tight growth rings, and the fact that it is all vertical grain, combine to give it a truly stunning and unique natural appearance.

Why is vertical grain Western Red Cedar so special?

For centuries builders have recognised that vertical grain timber has superior properties to flat grain, particularly when it is being used in severe exposures. In New England for example, there are many examples of homes, barns and churches built from vertical grain Western Red Cedar that are over 100 years old and still going strong.

Better resistance to UV degradation

The annual growth rings of a tree consist of early spring growth, which is softer and more porous, and late summer growth which is denser, harder and darker in colour. This is known as ‘early wood’ and ‘late wood’. Since ‘early wood’ is softer, it will degrade faster because of exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays, which will over time destroy the cellular structure of the wood.

With ‘vertical grain’ Western Red Cedar there is minimal exposure of the softer early wood, so it will put up much better resistance to UV rays and therefore last longer.

More dimensionally stable

With flat grain wood, the growth rings run roughly parallel with the face of the board, so when they shrink, boards have more of a tendency to cup. Vertical grain boards tend to shrink across the thickness so they remain flat with virtually no movement, meaning very low surface cracking and checking.

Better finish retention

Wood scientists have proved that vertical grain wood has better finish absorption and retention qualities than flat grain wood. This means that finishes last longer so won’t need re-applying as frequently, and thus maintenance costs will be reduced. Also, the absorption rate - and therefore the appearance and performance - of the finish will be more consistent, since it is only going into vertical grain wood. As a result, a project will look good for longer.

All heartwood

Silva Select Prestige VG is all heartwood which comes from the dense inner part of the tree trunk. Heartwood is more durable than sapwood, which comes from the outer part of the tree nearer the bark.

Kiln dried for optimum dimensional stability

Silva Select Prestige VG is kiln dried at source by experts in the art of drying Western Red Cedar. Controlled drying in state-of-the-art kilns is a far better method of drying wood than air drying, as a far more consistent and accurate moisture level can be achieved. The main advantages of kiln drying are improved dimensional stability, the ability to apply a finish immediately and install with minimal site acclimatisation.

There is a risk involved when leaving wood exposed to the elements. During the weathering process wood can appear unsightly as the material can blacken due to moisture getting into the fibres and pulling out tannins and extractives. Finish protects the wood from moisture absorption and UV degradation.

What to expect from timber products

When working with timber it should be expected that although ‘on-grade’, occasional boards may have minor imperfections that will require ‘working’ if you wish to eliminate. Examples include raised grain, small splits, minor handling marks, sticker marks etc – all of which can easily be remedied by trimming, gluing or sanding. In most cases imperfections can be removed with very little effort, and the small amount of off cuts generated as a result will be absorbed in the normal cutting and selection allowance.

Grading

Grade

Silva Select Prestige VG Western Red Cedar mainly falls into the official industry grade ‘No. 2 Clear & Better’. Occasional boards fall just below this into the ‘No. 4 Clear’ grade, so this grade is known as No.2 Clear & Better (allowing 15% No 4. Clear). It is specifically designed to provide a high quality raw material with occasional characteristics found in the grade below. A slight relaxing of the grading standard at the sawmill, to allow the inclusion of limited characteristics found in No. 4 Clear, enables us to offer cladding profiles produced from this raw material at a lower price point than pure Select No. 2 Clear & Better.

In most cases you will find only a small percentage of boards that do not conform to the grading rules for No. 2 Clear & Better. Users of cladding produced from this grade of Western Red Cedar will typically install boards of a lower standard in less prominent positions or may optimise boards to remove any characteristics that are deemed undesirable. Installers will find it helpful to sort and plan the positioning of boards before beginning the installation. This will enable the identification of boards that are to be trimmed and a possible position for those boards. This approach will ensure that saw wastage is kept to a bare minimum and may enhance the appearance of the finished project.

Environment

This product carries Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC)

The PEFC Council is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organisation founded in 1999 which promotes sustainably managed forests through independent third party certification. The PEFC provides an assurance mechanism to purchasers of wood and paper products that they are promoting the sustainable management of forests.

PEFC works throughout the entire forest supply chain to promote good practice in the forest and to ensure that timber and non-timber forest products are produced with respect for the highest ecological, social and ethical standards. Thanks to its eco-label, customers and consumers are able to identify products from sustainably managed forests.

Western Red Cedar is the ultimate green building material. It is legally, responsibly and sustainably harvested in the publicly managed forests of British Columbia, Canada. Less than 1% of standing timber is harvested each year.

For each tree harvested, three are replanted to ensure the forests will exist in perpetuity. Western Red Cedar has a low impact on the environment throughout its life cycle. It requires significantly less energy to produce than man-made alternatives and is bio-degradable.

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